ABSTRACT
Objective To observe the clinical safety and efficacy of foscarnet prophylaxis and pre-emptive therapy for cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Methods Ninety-six patients undergoing allo-HSCT from October 2014 to December 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. Plasma CMV-DNA was monitored with real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR) from beginning to 180 days after transplantation. Foscarnet was used not only for prophylaxis but also for first-line pre-emptive therapy when plasma CMV-DNA turned to positive. Foscarnet was given 60 mg·kg-1·d-1 and 120 mg·kg-1·d-1 respectively in prevention and pre-emptive therapy. Incidences of CMV infection and CMV disease were observed, influencing factors on CMV in faction and the efficacy and safety of foscarnet prophylaxis were analyzed, and survival of patients treated by all-HSCT was evaluated. Results Of the total 96 patients, 42 cases (43.8%) had CMV infection with the median time of 42 days after allo-HSCT. CMV-DNA became negative in 36 patients (85.7%, 36/42) after pre-emptive therapy. Six patients (14.3 %, 6/42) developed CMV disease, including 5 patients with CMV negative and 1 patient died for CMV pneumonia. Haploidentical donor and grade Ⅱ-Ⅳacute graft versus host disease (GVHD) were the risk factors for CMV reactivation (χ2 = 3.834, P< 0.05; χ2 = 16.807, P< 0.001). The side effects of foscarnet prophylaxis were mild without hematologic toxicities. 12 patients (28.6 %) died in 42 patients with CMV infection, and 6 patients (11.1 %) died in 54 patients without CMV infection. The difference of survival rates between both groups was not statistically significant. Conclusion Foscarnet is an effective agent for prophylaxis and pre-emptive therapy in CMV infection after allo-HSCT with mild adverse reactions, especially for patients following with hematopoietic recovering.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Cytomegalovirus(CMV) infection still remains as a major cause of morbidity and mortality after stem cell transplantation. In this study, we analyzed the results of antigenemia-guided pre-emptive therapy among children with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation to determine the incidence and risk factors associated with CMV antigenemia, and evaluated the efficacy of the CMV antigenemia based preemptive therapy. METHODS: We enrolled 213 pediatric patients following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(HSCT), at the Catholic HSCT center between October 1998 and December 2003. Pre-emptive ganciclovir was started when more than 5 CMV Ag-positive cells were detected in matched sibling HSCT, and when any Ag-positive cells were seen in unrelated allogenic HSCT. RESULTS: CMV antigenemia was observed in 88(41.3 percent) of 213 patients on median day 28(day 11-99). In univariated analysis, use of unrelated donors(other than siblings), age of recipient(more than 5 years at transplant) at transplantation, the presence of recipient CMV-IgG before transplantation, TBI-based conditioning regimen and the presence of acute GvHD(grade > or=II) were the risk factors for positive CMV antigenemia. In multivariate analysis, unrelated bone marrow transplantation, positive recipient CMV serology and acute GvHD(grade > or=II) were the independent risk factors for positive CMV antigenemia. CONCLUSION: Risk factors of CMV infection in children were CMV serostatus of the recipient, the source of stem cells, and acute graft-versus-host disease. The pre-emptive therapy based on CMV antigenemia was effective in the prevention of CMV disease.